Location of Project: Menominee County, MI. Twelve miles west of the city of Stephenson and approximately 150 feet from the Menominee River, which forms the boundary between Michigan and Wisconsin (click here for a bird’s eye view of the area).

Metals: Zinc, copper, gold, silver

Potential Type of Mine: open-pit and underground; open-pit would be over 2,000 ft. wide and 850 ft. deep.

Estimated production life: 7 years

Potential Impacts and Concerns:

Acid Mine Drainage associated with a massive sulfide deposit, open-pit design and close proximity to the Menominee River

Cyanide use associated with potential gold processing on-site

Impacts to the Shakey Lakes Savanna which could largely be affected by changes in groundwater levels

Effects to the Menominee River which serves as the largest drainage system in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The watershed supports a critical ecological system for sturgeon, numerous recreational and fishing opportunities, and is culturally significant as a major prehistoric travel corridor for indigenous peoples and the source of Creation for the Menominee people.

Status:

Wisconsin Senator Tom Tiffany has introduced a Bill to repeal Wisconsin’s moratorium on mining. The Back Forty ore body extends from Michigan, under the Menominee River, and into Wisconsin. Aquila also has the proposed Bend (Taylor County) and Reef (Marathon County) mining projects in Wisconsin.

Aquila has asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for another extension on their Wetlands Permit. Aquila now has a deadline of October 1, 2017 for the Wetlands Permit.

On February 21, 2017, Aquila announced exploratory winter drilling program at its Back Forty project. 2-drilling rigs will be performing the infill and expansion work. One rig will focus on better delineation of their minerals, and the second rig will focus on new project targets that were the result of geophysical anomalies previously not tested: http://www.aquilaresources.com/release/?id=122534

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit (NPDES) was granted on April 5, 2017. The Section 404 Clean Water Act wetlands permit is being reviewed by the DEQ. A land swap with the State of MI, and realignment of road(s)/infrastructure will also need to take place prior to mining operations.